Very Impressive

"We will whip both Parliamentary parties in both Houses to support a simple majority referendum on the Alternative Vote."

Canadian politics and the behaviour of Canada's politicians appear so petty and small in comparison.

My thanks to Doug Saunders, European Bureau Chief of the Globe and Mail, for tweeting the above links.

ETA: Some readers appear not to have noted the point of emphasis above. I support a referendum on electoral reform whose result is based on a simple majority, not the super majorities (60 percent) that Canadian provinces have imposed. I do not support the Alternative Vote, which is another winner-take-all system, not a proportional one.

Chrystal Ocean: Social libertarian; democratic reformer; passionate activist for housing reform, especially for changes in property laws to be more inclusive of housing alternatives; atheist; founder of a group run by and for women in poverty, author of several blogs and a book. Contact | Complete profile

Daphne Moldowin: I have chosen a minimalist lifestyle, am a raw food vegan and an anti-capitalist. For me, less means more freedom: to rage against the machine and to speak my mind. I champion others who have small voices. Complete profile